Coping with development problems in Irian Jaya
By Bambang Widjojanto
JAKARTA (JP): What has gone wrong with development in Irian Jaya, Indonesia's most-eastern province?
Its economy is growing by 8 percent to 10 percent in the 1990s, its infrastructure is expanding and the number of schools in the province is on the rise. Yet a spate of heart-wrenching incidents have plagued this province in recent months.
No sooner had the National Commission on Human Rights confirmed a violation by the military when a riot broke out on March 10 in the township of Timika, in which the PT Freeport mining site was ransacked. A few days later a riot broke out in Jayapura, and a week later the Abepura market was set on fire.
Last year, members of the Mooi tribe wrecked a building of a private company in Sorong after the company appropriated their land. Some Mooi held a rally in front of the regent's office in Jayapura, unfurling banners that read: Is there still justice for us? We want our rights. Let the sago palm grow.
Back in 1988, a group of Irianese proclaimed themselves independent as citizens of the West Melanesian Republic, in Jayapura's Trikora Square.
The recent incidents in Irian Jaya stem from the indirect result of development combined with the yet-to-settle political dust following a UN-sponsored transfer of the province's sovereignty from the Dutch colonial power in the early 1960s.
After three decades of development, what benefits do the Irianese receive?
It is ironic that most Irianese are poor, but exploitation of the province's natural resources has enriched other regions. It even subsidizes the government.
Hence, there is something inconsistent between the process of development and its end results. Despite the impressive results, development has failed to make the locals feel they are part of the process. They have yet to feel the benefits of development; they have no access to economic sources; nor can they control their future.
The economic gap is widening. Irian Jaya's economy depends on products derived from natural sources such as forestry, mining, agricultural produce and fishery, all of them demanding vast spaces of land.
Seventy percent of the population works in the agricultural sector, which emphasizes on family related activities.
About 60 percent of the manpower is illiterate or has not completed elementary level schooling. Only 20 percent completed elementary school.
Other social problems, if not given the proper attention, might give rise to social unrest. The number of university graduates is growing but work opportunities are scarce. In the meantime, the number of new settlers is swelling, thereby minimizing job opportunities at all levels.
Today, the local economy has been taken over by new arrivals. Previously, sago and betel nut were sold by Irianese. This is no longer the case. Eighty percent of small-scale traders are newcomers, who sell their wares in the market kiosks, while Irianese vendors sell their wares on the sidewalks.
The problems are aggravated by the presence of the Independent Papua Organization (OPM), which hinders political integration. Despite attempts to purge the organization, the OPM has survived since its onset in 1963.
The Indonesian Armed Forces calls the OPM a peace-disturbing movement. But the Armed Forces often exploits this term by using it for locals who protest development policies or for those who seek justice.
There are several reasons why the OPM persists. Prior to relinquishing its sovereignty to Indonesia under UN sponsorship, the Dutch colonial government prepared the province for self- rule. Hence, the dream lasts.
The Irianese believe that there had been a flaw in the plebiscite because of the representation system and that during negotiations between Indonesia and the Netherlands, which yielded the New York Agreement in 1962, not one Irianese was represented.
The social gap between the locals and newcomers further strengthens the locals' "cargo cult", meaning they believe that a just leader will bring prosperity to the people one day.
The government's development strategy tends to put the Irianese at a disadvantage and threatens their very existence. To most Irianese, land is everything. When they lose it they lose their existence. In such a situation they will cling to their dream of establishing a free Papua country.
Social conflicts stemming from a search for identity and from a transformation from traditional to modern institutions could trigger future rioting and radical action.
It would be wise if the government avoided coercive methods in dealing with issues in this young and rugged province.
The writer is chairman of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute.